Category: Resources

Tips to Support a Child Receiving Stitches

Tips to Support a Child Receiving Stitches

Child Life Mommy

The first set of stitches is in the books for my little guy, Blake.  After I tossed him in a pond our giant lab, Tank leaped right on top of him. His paw hit Blake’s face and punctured his lip. Both of my kids freaked out. I mean full on tears and a hard time breathing. Blake went limp like a ragdoll, puked before we got him in the car, and then fell asleep from exhaustion. He was at a level 10 for anxiety. We had a 2-hour drive to urgent care, so it gave us time to regroup and calm down.

Here is what we did to make the situation go from high anxiety with pain and trauma to a successful procedure.
  1. I stayed calm. I lowered my voice, made good eye contact, and reminded him that this was my job.
  2. I prepared him for what he would experience. I gave him lots of details and cleared up misconceptions.
    I talked about his job of keeping his body still and breathing. I explained that stitches are string bandaids and that the doctor will numb the area so that he wouldn’t feel it.
  3. I validated his emotions and provided reassurance. “You are so scared right now. I will be there to help you.”
  4. Advocacy. This was a big one for me. I advocated for topical numbing cream which the doctor was hesitant on but then agreed. I knew it would decrease the pain from the lidocaine injection.
  5. Comfort hold. There was a papoose board in the trauma room and B asked what it was. Every meme that The iPad Lady has posted went through my head. There was no way they were going to use that. He was able to lay directly on my chest in a position for comfort.
  6. Distraction. I held up my phone so B could watch a movie during the procedure.
  7. Choices. I gave him as many choices as I could.
  8.  ONE VOICE. When he was getting the stitches it was just the doctor and us, no other team members. Everyone was super calm, the doctor would talk to him about what he was doing before he did it.
  9.  Procedural Support. I named things that he was doing great on, slow deep breaths & keeping his body still.
  10.  Bravery Reward. Yes, he got ice cream and chose a small toy for being so brave.

Highlights: The doctor said,” Good idea Mom on the numbing cream.” ❤️

You can continue to help kids process their experiences and feel empowerment when you ask them to share their stories. It could be done through medical play, art, journaling, or verbaling telling you.

 

Related Articles:

Medical Play 

5 Tips to Help Your Child at The Doctor 

How to Pack an Emergency Go Bag

Mom Writes Children’s Picture Book to Help Kids Cope with Anxiety

Mom Writes Children’s Picture Book to Help Kids Cope with Anxiety

Child Life Mommy

Guest Post on Anxious Ellie

As people across the country practice mindfulness in light of Coronavirus fears, one Charlotte mom wants kids to know that it’s perfectly normal to feel anxious sometimes. Danielle Price has released Anxious Ellie, a children’s book published by Charlotte-based Warren Publishing.

Anxious Ellie is a sweet story that helps children understand that, even though you feel afraid, you never have to feel alone. Complete with delightful illustrations by Nana Gonzales, this twenty-two-page book, available in both hard and softcover formats, normalizes anxiety and promotes mental health for young readers.

Price wrote Anxious Ellie to encapsulate her own childhood experience. “Growing up, I was terrified of dogs,” she says. “I really wanted to love them, but I just couldn’t. I felt isolated from certain places, like parks or friends’ homes, because my anxiety would prevent me from going there.”

“While it may not be dogs or mud puddles, children can experience anxiety in many forms,” Price continued. Her goal for Anxious Ellie is that the book will help children navigate through anxious situations. She wants kids to know that, no matter what anxieties they may face, every person has a unique gift to offer the world and nobody is alone.

From the back cover: Ellie the elephant loves to draw pictures, host tea parties, and nibble on delicious, buttery biscuits. What she does not love, however, is mud. In fact, the mere thought of mud gives her nightmares! Poor Ellie feels left out when all the other elephants go outside to play in the mud puddle. Sometimes, she feels so mad and so sad, it makes her cry. Thankfully, with the help of a good friend––and some yummy, buttery biscuits––Ellie learns that everybody gets scared sometimes, but nobody ever has to be alone.

Anxious Ellie is available at Warren Publishing, Amazon, or ask for it wherever books are sold.

We will be giving away a copy of Anxious Ellie to one lucky winner.

Choose one or more ways to enter:

  1. Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
  2. Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy and tag a friend.
  3. Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy and @WarrenPublish,  tag two friends in the post.
  4. Twitter: Follow, Like, and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy.

Good luck, the winner will be chosen by 6/12/20.

Weaving as a therapeutic tool for children and families

Weaving as a therapeutic tool for children and families

Child Life Mommy

Have you ever thought about incorporating weaving into a therapeutic tool for children? When families face life’s challenges of illness, separation, loss, and now the pandemic, they need an outlet to express how they feel. Using a variety of art modalities can help. I just learned about simple weaving techniques from SAORI Arts NYC and wanted to share them with you.

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